Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20070606.htm

EXODUS: FUNCTIONING WELL IN A HOPELESS GROUP ASSIGNMENT
Part II: God's Sustainment Of Israel In The Wilderness Wanderings Amid Humanly Hopeless Trials
M. God's Establishment Of The Tabernacle Of Meeting
12. The Ransom Money: True Worship By Regenerate Believers Alone
(Exodus 30:11-16)
  1. Introduction
    1. Many evangelical churches today seek to be "seeker friendly" and design their church services to be light on Biblical content and emphasis to attract unbelievers in hope of gently, gradually evangelizing them.
    2. However, church worship is not for unbelievers, but for believers as signified in Exodus 30:11-16:
  2. The Ransom Money: True Worship By Regenerate Believers Alone, Exodus 30:11-16.
    1. Exodus 30 is a "great worship chapter", beginning with the discussion of the altar of incense at Exodus 30:1-10, cf. J. Vernon McGee, Thru The Bible With J. Vernon McGee, vol. I, p. 294.
    2. As such, Exodus 30:11-16 that discusses the atonement or ransom money, reveals by way of typology that only true believers may really worship God, meaning the Church service today is for true believers:
      1. God directed that when the census of the people of Israel was taken to identify who belonged to Israel, every one counted was to pay a ransom for his soul to avoid a plague from the Lord, Exodus 30:11-12.
      2. The amount to be paid was affordable by all, being much less than the price of a person (as follows):
        1. The amount to be paid for this "ransom" in being associated with the congregation of God's people in Israel amounted to a shekel, or 2/5 of an ounce, Ibid., Exodus 30:12, 13!
        2. That was much less than the 30 shekels of silver required to purchase a slave, the lowliest of people, cf. Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978 ed., ftn. to Exodus 21:32.
        3. The shekel was affordable by all, being equal to a few dollars in America today, Ex. 30:15!
      3. Thus, this shekel ransom typified one had to be personally regenerated to qualify for true worship:
        1. Since the shekel was significantly less than the actual price of anyone who paid the due, it obviously could not signify a person's eternal redemption!
        2. Rather, paying the due signified a commitment to follow God: one gave his shekel as a CHOICE signifying his CONSENT to be IDENTIFIED as one of God's followers and worshipers, 30:11-12.
        3. Hence, this ransom payment signified the need for a truly regenerate membership in the assembly of God: (1) John warned immature Christians in 1 John 2:18-19 of antichrists who had once attended their church services but who had gone out from them as impostors, revealing their lost condition. (2) Had they been true believers, they would have continued in the church, 1 John 2:19b. (3) Thus, it is necessary for us to be true believers in Christ before we can truly worship God in the local church, and (4) so church leaders are to seek to include only truly saved Christians into membership in the local body! (5) However, the Church must always acknowledge that the lost who attend are always to be encouraged to trust in Christ and become a part of the Body of Christ that they might worship God in spirit and in truth, Rev. 22:17; John 4:24. (6) Based on these facts, the local church worship services should not be tailored to reach the lost, but be designed to edify believers! Unbelievers who attend church services need to see God's people function in holy worship and ministry as a testimony for them to be saved rather than be entertained in their lost condition with worldly programs and with hardly an emphasis on the Gospel as occurs in many "seeker" type contemporary evangelical churches today, cf. 1 Corinthians 14:23!
Lesson: Since every one numbered in Israel as belonging to God's people was to pay a shekel ransom to avoid God's plague, and thus to signify their consent to being so identified, only those who make a personal commitment of faith in Christ truly belong to God's household and can truly worship Him.

Application: (1) If we have not yet done so, may we trust in Christ to be saved to belong in truth to the household of God that we might worship God in truth. (2) If we suspect that one who attends our Church services is not a believer, may we not include him in membership, but evangelize him for Christ! (3) May we not redesign our church services to cater to the LOST, but minister to the SAVED that the LOST who attend may see their NEED to be SAVED, 1 Corinthians 14:23!